The Launch of the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha

SadaNews - The activities of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit began in Doha on Monday to discuss the response to the unprecedented Israeli attack that targeted Hamas officials in the Qatari capital last week.

The Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said in his opening speech that Doha "was subjected to a treacherous assault," describing it as "vile and cowardly."

Sheikh Tamim considered the Israeli aggression against Doha as a "serious violation of our sovereignty."

According to a draft final statement obtained by Agence France-Presse, the attendees will affirm that the Israeli strike in Doha "undermines the chances of achieving peace and peaceful coexistence in the region and threatens everything that has been achieved towards establishing normal relations with Israel, including existing and future agreements."

The summit comes amid widespread international condemnation of the Israeli attack.

The foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries held a closed preparatory meeting on Sunday in Doha where they discussed a draft statement, which also emphasizes "the concept of collective security and shared destiny (...) and the necessity of aligning and confronting common challenges and threats."

Observers fear that the continuation of escalation in the region may undermine any prospects for resuming negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.